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G. TURNER AND E; A. FOURNEAUX.

AGING MACHINE. I f APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1920. 1,408,990. Patented Jan. 17,1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET G. TURNER AND E. A. FOURNEAUX.

' AGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1920.

Patehted Jan. 17,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PgENT OFFICE.

AGING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed January 19, 1920. Serial No. 352,511.

To all to ham it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE TURNER and EMILE AUeUsrE FoUnNEAUX, both subjects of the Kin of Great Britain, residing at St. Jamess l3uildings, Oxford Street, Marchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Im provements in and Connected with Aging Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with machines known to the piece dyeing and to the calico printing industries as agers, aniline agers, or steamers, and may be applied to any closed or partially closed machine, vessel, or chamber whence it is required to extract certain gases, vapours, or steam from between folds, laps or layers of fabric under treatment therein.

Aging machines are mainly of two types. In the one type used almost exclusively for the development of the so-called oxidation aniline black the aging chamber is filled mainly with air; in the other, used largely for the purpose of developing the so-called prussiate aniline black but also for many other purposes, the chamber is filled mainly with steam, though air may be present. In the course of many of the operations commonly conducted in these machines noxious gases are given off which may hinder the proper development of the colour or otherwise interfere with the operation. This is more particularly the case in the aging of aniline blacks, where it is known that the gases given off tend to prevent the formation of ungreenable black and that they may cause tendering of the fibre and soiling of the white parts of the fabric by the deposition of oxidation products of aniline thereon. In such cases it is necessary that these gases should be removed by suitable ventilation.

In both types of aging machines the usual method of ventilating consists in providing one or more openings, generally on top or at the back of the machine, and connecting these openings with a trunk or shaft leading to the open air, the speed of the gases being accelerated in some cases by suitable means such as a steam ejector, centrifugal fan or other device.

This method of ventilation is by no means efiicient as the steam or air, vapour and gases appear to be drawn mainly from the space between the edges of the fabric and the walls of the ager while the steam or air, vapour and gases between the folds or laps of fabric, being in a partial cul-de-sac, are less completely removed. The removal of the noxious gases is thus incomplete.

The object of our invention is to overcome this draw-back and effect a material improvement 1n the ventilation by providing suction elements between the folds or laps of fabric and applying suction by any known means so as to remove the bulk of the vapours or gases as and when they are generated.

In their simplest form the suction elements consist of an exhaust fan, ejector or equivalent in conjunction with a pipe closed at one end and provided with suitable openlngs, e. g. a slot, perforations, etc., but it is obvious that the shape, material and general arrangement of the suction elements may be modified to a considerable extent without in any way departing from the fundamental principle of our invention.

As a specific example of the manner in which we propose to carry our invention into practice we describe with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings one form of suction element which has been found particularly suitable for use in connection with the ordinary type of steam aniline ager, but it must be distinctly un-,

derstood that we do not mean to restrict ourselves to that particular form of suction element or to any particular method of fitting it or to any one means of applying suction.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section of the suction element. Fig. 3 is an elevation (partly sectional) and Fig. 4 a plan of an ager with the suction element applied and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of part of Fig. 3 but on a larger scale.

The form of suction element (illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2) consists of what may be termed a double pipe. The lower or heating pipe a is heated by steam supplied through a pipe I) and for the purpose of preventing condensation and drops on the fabric the heat is transmitted to the upper or suction pipe 0 by means of a connecting metal web or plate 01. The lower pipe a is provided with an outlet pipe (1 connected say to a steam trap to allow the water of condensation to escape. The upper or suction pipe 0 is closed at one end and perforated by drilled holes 0 at the highest point of its circumference. The suction elements are fitted to the ager in any requisite number and at any required height, but for constructional purposes preferably at two levels as indicatedin Figs. 8 and 5 and in such man ner that they will eventually lie between the folds or laps of the fabric-e arranged alternately left and right hand so as to cause fairly equable division of suction and heat. The fabric 6 enters the ager through the usual sealed mouth 9 and passes over and under guide rollers 'h finallyleaving through the sealed mouth 9 in the ordinary manner.

The open ends of the upperor suction pipes 0 are connectedwith other suction pipes 2' and these merge in turn into an. ultimate suction pipe y' at the backot' the ager, which pipe'is coupled to the suction apparatus, which may beof any suitable type as for example a Ledwards ejector condenser. The degree of suction applied is controlledby a valve not shownbut fitted between the ultimate suction pipe j. and the suction apparatus of whatever kind, and the steam' supply to the ager should be regulated in 'having one pipe perforated and connected to a suction apparatus, the other pipe adapted to be connected to a source of steam and a metal web-joining the pipes whereby heat may be transmitted from the last named pipe to the other. i

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

GEORGE TURNER. EMILE AUGUSTE FOURNEAUX.

lVitnesses: V 1 i WV. GILLETT,

HERBERT ROWLAND ABBEY. 

